


4am

by freckledandspectacled



Series: Prompt List #1 [12]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Love Confessions, M/M, Nightmares, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-02-08 07:46:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12860013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freckledandspectacled/pseuds/freckledandspectacled
Summary: 34. “You come to my room and wake me up at 4am, to cuddle?”





	4am

“Oswald?” Edward called, knocking on his door. He was barefoot and dressed in pajamas, tears from earlier drying on his face. Oswald didn’t answer. It was a little after four in the morning, to be fair. He pushed the door open. 

“Oswald?” he tried again, walking into the room. Oswald snored loudly in response. Edward couldn’t help but smile fondly at him. He went to the bed, shaking Oswald’s shoulder. “Oswald.”

Oswald startled awake, looking frantically around the room before focusing on Edward. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked throwing back the covers and making to stand up.

“Everything’s fine,” Edward said, pushing him back into bed with hands on his shoulders. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind holding me for a little while.”

“You come to my room and wake me up at 4am… to cuddle?”

“Well, if you’re opposed, I’ll just leave,” Edward huffed, turning on his heel.

“Ed, wait. That’s not what I meant. Come here.” Oswald scooted across the bed, lifting the covers for him. Edward cautiously approached the bed and climbed in. Once Oswald dropped the blankets he plastered himself along the other man’s side, pressing his face into his neck. 

“It was that bad?” Oswald asked him.

“Worse,” Edward murmured, pushing his leg over Oswald’s and using it to leverage himself closer. Oswald was the only person he felt comfortable touching like this. He hadn’t realized just how starved he was for affection until Oswald began heaping it upon him freely. Now, in the wake of a nightmare about his mother, Oswald was an invaluable source of comfort. He felt at ease with Oswald in a way he never had with anyone else. 

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Oswald asked. He always asked that.

“No,” Edward said. That was always his answer.

“Okay,” Oswald sighed. Edward wondered why he kept asking. Furthermore, why he kept accepting Edward’s non-answers and not pushing for more. It made Edward… _want_ to share with him, which he supposed was Oswald’s intent. Damn him.

“It was about my mother,” Edward said. Oswald deserved to know something, at least. After everything they’d been through together, he didn’t _want_ to harbor any secrets from Oswald. It was just hard to talk about it. 

“You don’t have to tell me,” Oswald assured him, pushing Edward’s curls back from his forehead and looking down at him. 

“I know, I want to. It’s just a difficult subject for me,” Edward whispered. Oswald continuing carding his fingers through Edward’s hair, and Edward relaxed against him, stretching an arm across Oswald’s chest. 

“You miss her?” Oswald asked him. Edward’s eyes snapped open. Oswald’s fingers had almost managed to hypnotize him into dozing off. 

“Oh, heavens no,” Edward said. “I can’t seem to shake her off, lately.” His mother had been the more religious of his parents, and if she’d found out about his brewing feelings for Oswald… well, his father certainly wouldn’t have stopped her from killing him. It was no small surprise that his growing affection for Oswald was leading to increasing appearances of her in his dreams. 

“Your parents weren’t good to you,” Oswald stated, fingers momentarily halting before resuming their work. 

“No, they weren’t. I didn’t deserve half of what they did to me,” Edward said. 

“I doubt you deserved any of it,” Oswald said, tensing under him. Edward hummed noncommittally. “You’re incredible, Edward. They didn’t deserve you.” Edward’s throat tightened. 

“Thank you,” he said softly, nuzzling Oswald’s neck. It was some time before Oswald spoke again.

“I have something to tell you,” Oswald said. “Something that might make you change your mind about sleeping in the same bed as me. You deserve to know.”

“Do you wet the bed?” Edward asked. Oswald slapped his arm. “Ow!”

“I’m trying to be serious, Edward,” Oswald said.

“I don’t really feel like being serious right now,” Edward said. “I just want to enjoy this. There are only a few things you could tell me that would make this a bad decision, and that’s one of them.”

“I’m in love with you,” Oswald said, staring up at the ceiling. Edward said nothing. “Ed, did you hear me?”

“Come again?” Edward asked. He was having a difficult time comprehending such a simple sentence.

“I’m in love with you, Edward,” Oswald said, motionless beneath him as he awaited Edward’s response.

“Oh,” Edward said. He paused for a moment, before he realized that Oswald would probably appreciate it if he elaborated. “That’s nice.”

“It’s… nice?” Oswald asked. 

“Well… it’s very serendipitous that you should tell me that,” Edward decided. 

“Serendipitous how?” Oswald asked. 

“Serendipitous because I came here after a nightmare in which— in which my mother was unhappy about my feelings for you,” Edward explained. 

“Your feelings… for _me_?” Oswald asked, eyes widening. 

“Yes,” Edward said, sitting up. “If you were planning on avoiding going into that territory with me, I completely understand. I just wanted to be honest with you, since you shared your feelings with me. If you’re not comfortable with this anymore—”

“I’m very comfortable,” Oswald said, sitting up. “I was actually hoping for… more.”

“More?” Edward asked, hopeful. “More as in… a relationship?”

“Yes, if— if you’re interested?” Oswald asked.

“I’m interested,” Edward confirmed, licking his lips. Oswald’s eyes followed the movement. “So, does this mean we’re, um, together?”

“If you want,” Oswald said, shying away from answering outright. Edward watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. 

“I want,” Edward said, eyes going half-lidded. It was a beat before he snapped out of it. “That! I want that.” Oswald seemed equally as entranced, leaning towards Edward as if drawn by a magnet. 

“Then you can have it,” Oswald said, brushing his nose against Edward’s. 

“Are you going to kiss me?” Edward whispered. 

“Do you want me to?” Oswald said, answering his question with another question. Edward couldn’t help but smile softly. It was only because he liked Oswald that he’d let him get away with that. 

“Yes,” Edward breathed, the word feather soft in the space between their lips. Then there was no space between their lips, Oswald pressing his firmly to Edward’s. Edward gasped and shuddered, bringing one hand to Oswald’s face and the other around his shoulders. He tilted Oswald’s head and coaxed him into kissing Edward the way he liked, lips locked together. When they pulled apart, Edward stayed close, resting his forehead against Oswald’s. 

“We should get some rest,” Edward regretfully decided. 

“You’re right,” Oswald said, staring at his mouth. Edward kissed him once more, then laid down with his back to Oswald. He took Oswald’s hand and pulled it over himself, clutching it to his chest and linking his fingers through Oswald’s.

“Good night,” he said, once Oswald was comfortably spooning him. 

“Good night,” Oswald whispered into his ear, kissing his neck and settling down behind him. 

Edward could get used to this. 

**Author's Note:**

> Ed is the best cuddlebug and Oswald is the most indulgent man alive because he loves him. Also the most gentlemanly. He didn't want Edward sleeping with him unaware of Oswald's feelings, because to him it's like he's taking advantage of Ed by holding him and touching him when he has no idea that Oswald wants him in a romantic way. Edward is of course doing it of his free will, but a huge part of consent it doing something knowingly, and Edward doesn't have all the facts of the situation. Oswald believes that if Ed knew his feelings for him he wouldn't be so comfortable touching Oswald the way he does. He's wrong, but hey at least he's respectful. I like to think that if Edward had been more tactile with Oswald that over time Oswald would have broken down and confessed because it wouldn't be right- in his mind- to let Edward be all over him when he has no idea that Oswald is getting hot under the collar because of it. He's also been very divorced from his sexuality for so long that it feels very strange to him to be lusting after someone, especially his best friend. Love is all good and pure and fine by him, but sexual desires are a complete unknown and he doesn't want to screw up his perfect one true love thing with Ed because he's having these desires. Gertrude talked a lot about love, not so much the other thing (i.e. Oswald never got the talk and one time she caught him masturbating and he NEVER did it again). Wow this turned into meta and headcanons but ummmm I hope you liked this?


End file.
